Learning to Forgive
by TheFieldsofIce
Summary: After princess Twilight is given the news that she must move for the third time, Spike finds himself infuriated and storms out; ending a life long friendship. Now, six years later, Spike can't stop thinking about what he did that night, so he decides to return to the friend he's long since abandoned. But when her arrives in Canterlot, Spike may have found more than just friendship.
1. Chapter One: A Shattered Past

Six Years Ago-

A teenage dragon stared out of the window overlooking the Manehatten skyline. A grim look painted upon his face. How he desperately wished to go back to Ponyville, to see his friends, to live the way he used to, and above all to be happy.

He smiled slightly thinking of the days he would spend playing with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Remembering how one day he and Scootaloo had attempted to go zip lining. Of course their attempt didn't exactly end the way they had wished, but they still enjoyed their time together nonetheless. Then another thought appeared. A thought of a pony he hadn't seen in ages; Rarity. How he would always find himself day dreaming of her and how kind she was. Finally he remembered the day Twilight became an Alicorn; the beginning of the end. Slowly a tear rolled down Spike's face.

"I'm back, Spike," called the familiar and cheerful voice of his friend.

Quickly, Spike wiped away his tear and turned around. Before him stood a pristine lavender Alicorn. Her crown shimmering beautifully in the moonlight, her dress tailored perfectly, and her mane curled in an absolutely stunning manor.

Spike smiled. "Hey Twilight, how did the meeting go?"

The lavender mare chuckled as she slid off her crown. "Well, the Hooviets and Zebras still hate each other, but I think we're making progress."

"Well, that's good news at least."

Twilight smiled briefly, but it quickly began to fade. "Spike, are you okay? You looked a little upset when I walked in."

Spike sighed. "I was just thinking about Ponyville. It's nice that we can still see it from here."

Spike's last sentence caused Twilight to recoil to some extent. She knew that what she was about to say would hurt Spike greatly, but how deeply it would hurt both of them could have never been foretold.

"Is something wrong with you, Twi?" Spike asked, cocking his head slightly.

The Alicorn sighed. "Listen Spike, we need to talk about something."

The young dragon keyed in on her suddenly distressed tone, causing him to raise an eyebrow. "Like what?"

She bowed her head, trying to avoid Spike's eyes. "I was just told by Celestia that we need to go to Vanhoover."

Instantly Spike felt a rush of relief. "Oh, that's it? How long?"

"That's the thing. We're not coming back to Manehatten."

"What!" he shouted.

"I know, I know. But we have to go."

"No we don't!" Spike threw his arms up. "What's next? We move to Saddle Arabia because you become an ambassador or something?! I mean Vanhoover is on the other side of the country! At least here our friends can visit!"

Realizing that this wasn't going to resolved rationally, Twilight found herself going on the defensive. "Look Spike, I didn't want to go either, but we have to! It's my duty as a princess!"

"Your duty?! Your duty?! What about your duty to stay loyal to your friends! What about that?!"

Twilight gritted her teeth, feeling those words cut deep into her heart. "That was low, Spike. We both know why we had to leave."

"Oh yeah, because your duties came first! Just like they always do!"

"When will you realize that I'm a princess, Spike! Things have to be sacrificed!"

"At the price of our friends?! For crying out loud, I sacrificed Rarity for you!"

"Oh not this again! We both know you didn't have a chance in Tartarus with her!"

The young dragon clenched his fists, and with every moral fiber of Spike's being, he resisted the urge to rip Twilight to pieces right then and there. However, this didn't stop the small flames currently emanating from Spike's nostrils. "Don't you ever say that! You don't know!"

As Twilight let herself slip deeper and deeper into a seething rage, she began to lose sight on what was right and began to transition her focus on one thing; hurting Spike. "You know what Spike, if you hate it here so much, why don't you just leave!?"

Tears were beginning to form in the base of Spike's eyes, for Twilight could have no comprehension of how deeply that hurt. It was as if those last two words able to rape his very heart. "Fine," he replied calmly.

Present Day-

Spike awoke gasping. He quickly clutched his chest, trying to slow his breathing. Feeling a cold chill around him, he looked down to see his sheets covered in sweat. He let out an annoyed grown and slid out from underneath them.

"Looks like I'm not getting back to sleep tonight."

As Spike began walking towards the bathroom, he caught sight of his alarm clock. It's dim red lights read "4:50 AM".

"Close enough."

The now adult dragon looked into his mirror. His typically youthful purple scales now all but drained of their color. Each time he had dreamed of Twilight this would be the face that would greet him. However, this time it seemed to affect his appearance much more that it normally did.

Spike reached down and turned his sink to hot. Allowing the steaming water to pool in his hands, he took it and splashed it upon his face. It seemed to bring some color back to his features, but it was nowhere near normal.

Sighing, Spike walked out of his bathroom and flipped on the light switch. His room filled with light to reveal an ugly brown carpet, an old bed, and a window that overlooked the features of the next apartment ten feet away.

Walking over to his closet, Spike opened the doors and lifted up a blue, stained, jumpsuit. He sighed and took it off of the hanger.

"Looks like I'm going to work early today."

Stepping off of the train, Spike looked above a cave with an opening held up by several large boards. Above it he saw a large black and white sign. "Stalliongrad Mine"

As he approached it, he stopped at a large metal grate. He flipped it open, looked to the clock inside, and wrote the time and his name on a board next to it. He was about to close the grate, but a tall grey stallion wearing the same uniform stopped him.

"Hey there Spike, let me at least clock out first," he said with a thick Hooviet accent.

Spike smirked at his friend. "Don't tell me you're working nights now, Dimitri."

The colt picked up the pen and began to write. "Does it really matter? When you're down zere you can't tell if it's night or day."

Spike shrugged. "Still nice to know it's sunny outside, I guess."

Dimitri grinned. "To be honest, I zink I see more sunshine zan any of zese ponies. I just sleep through it."

The young dragon returned a smile. "Whatever you say night owl."

"You're just jealous that I can stay in ze clubs until closing!" he exclaimed with a chuckle.

Spike let out a laugh. "And yet you still can't get a mare."

"Oh look who's talking mister only dragon in Stalliongrad."

He chuckled a little more. "Well you go on home. I better get down there before I get a chewing from the boss."

The colt nodded and handed Spike his helmet. "Da, I should. Well see ya, Spike."

"See ya."

As the young dragon finished moving a large beam into place, he heard a familiar voice from behind him, however he couldn't quite understand what was being said. Turning around he saw his old friend Sergey, a brown earth pony with a jet black mane.

"What are you deaf?" Sergey asked sarcastically. "I said come on, it's our lunch break."

"Give me a few more years of working in this place and I probably will be. What did ya bring?"

"Some potato soup and a sandwich."

"And?" Spike insisted.

The brown stallion smirked. "And some rubies. I swear if I didn't know any better I'd zink you were just my friend because I work on zat side of the mine."

"Oh no Sergey," Spike said jokingly. "I'm your friend because I've known you for five years… And you work on that side of the mine. Now let's get out of here."

Sergey rolled his eyes and turned towards the tunnels which lead to an exit.

As Spike stepped out of the mine and into the sunlight, his eyes stung slightly. Looking around, he saw that a few of the ponies on break were already outside. Suddenly he felt someone poke him in the side. Looking down, he saw Sergey holding out a cloth bag.

"You want it or not? Zis is heavy."

Spike smiled and gladly took the sack. "Thanks."

Trotting over to his usual seat, the brown cold sat down. He was soon followed by Spike as well.

"So Spike, you mind telling me what's bothering you?"

Raising an eyebrow, he looked over to Sergey. "There's nothing… Oh why do I even bother?"

Sergey smirked. "To waste my time apparently. I seem to be as good at detecting lies as your friend Applejack. Now you look like crap so what happened?"

Spike rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll tell you. I've been having dreams about Twilight again."

"Ah, zis again. The good kind or bad?"

The young dragon made a confused expression. "What do you mean by- Oh good goddesses! Bad! They're bad."

Sergey couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, you can never be sure with dreams."

Again Spike rolled his eyes as he reached into the sack. Taking the first gem he could feel, he lifted it out of the bag and examined it. The ruby was a bright red, glissading in the sunlight; just looking at it made his mouth water.

"So, what happened this time?"

Spike took a large bight out of the gem and looked over to Sergey. "Same as last time. I keep dreaming of the night I left," he said with a mouthful.

"Well, maybe zat should be telling you something."

The young dragon swallowed down the gem shards. "Like what?"

"Zat maybe you shouldn't have left."

Spike sighed. "Well, it's a little late for that."

Sergey nodded. "True, but it's never too late to go back."

"Oh trust me Sergey, it is. You weren't there."

"Wanna bet? From what you've told me, she sounds like a nice mare; not one to hold a grudge."

Spike looked down at his gem and dropped it back into the sack. "I don't know, Sergey." Suddenly he felt a hoof lay upon his shoulder.

"Well I do, Spike."

As soon as Spike walked into his home, the first thing he did was turn on the radio. He figured some music would be good after today. At first he appeared to be right and even hummed along to a song he knew as he took off his uniform. However, as soon as the news started, his happier mood instantly fell flat.

"And in other news, princess Twilight Sparkle has managed to get both the Hooviet Union and the Zebra Empire to sign a trade agreement allowing both countries to exchange goods freely. This step will greatly improve relations between the two nations as well as improve Hooviet medical care and Zebra infrastructure. Also at the top of the hour, Twilight Sparkle has announced that-"

Before the reporter could finish his sentence, Spike reached over and flipped off the radio. He felt as though he had heard enough about a certain purple princess. Letting a yawn escape his lips, he assumed it was time for him to get some sleep instead. However, unknown to him, neither of these things would come to fruition.

Spike awoke gasping once again a mere three hours after going to sleep. Sighing, he threw the sheets off of him and laid his head into his claws. However, instead of feeling sad and angry like he normally would, Spike could only feel regret. He knew Sergey was right, but just didn't want to face it, or her.

Despite that, he slowly turned to his night stand, but instead of looking at his clock, the first thing that caught his eye was the phone. Hesitantly, he reached for it and began to dial the number of the mine's office. After a moment Dimitri answered.

"Hey Dimitri," began Spike, " I'm gonna use a few of my off days now. I need to visit an old friend."

The stallion chuckled softly. "Are you finally going to see zat Canterlot mare?"

Spike smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Well good luck, comrade."

"Thanks Dimitri, I'm gonna need it."


	2. Chapter Two: You're Not Alone

Learning to Forgive

Chapter Two: You're Not Alone

Through the cool night air trotted two regal Alicorns, one lavender the other pink. Each was sporting the most exquisite gowns in all of Canterlot. They giggled and laughed as they talked about their prior meeting with the zebras and Hooviets. It was quite obvious they were most pleased with the outcome.

"Did you see the look on that Zebra's face?" giggled Cadence.

Twilight let out a laugh. "When I stood up, I thought he was about to wet himself! And look who's talking Mrs. We will end all trade!"

The pink Alicorn rolled her eyes. "Well it got his attention, didn't it?"

Twilight chuckled a little. "Wow, we really should have become actresses instead. We'd make a killing!"

Cadence smiled to Twilight before looking to a guard standing at the castle gates. Instantly, he stepped forward and began to open the massive entrance. As he did so, the metal creaked and groaned as you'd expect from such an old castle.

"So," began the lavender Alicorn, shooting Cadence a playful look. "Shining still in the dog house?"

Cadence giggled. "What do you think?"

"I'll take that as a yes then."

Before either of the two mares could look up, a second guard noticed their approach and began to open the doors to the majestic castle. Inside was an absolutely pristine galley. Its shimmering white walls were adored with massive silk flags of Equestria, each only inches away from the ceiling and floor. At its center was a huge stair case carved of the finest marble which lead to the rest of the castle's many rooms. However, both princesses had seen this magnificent work of architecture and decorative skills many times before, so they didn't pay much mind.

Stepping inside, Cadence let out a yawn and stretched out her forelegs slightly. "Well, I'm beat. I think I'll head back to my room."

The lavender Alicorn gave a yawned as well. "Yeah, I'm a little tired myself, but there's a few things I need to get done."

As Twilight closed the door behind her, her cheerful expression quickly turned to one of sorrow. With the glow of her horn, she flicked on a few lamps and sighed. Looking to the nearest wall, she could see several pictures of her and Spike; some were from before they had moved to Ponyville, others after.

Slowly, the lavender mare trotted over to one of the nearest photos. She gently rested a hoof onto its wooden frame and stared at it, her already dreary expression growing ever more sorrowful. The picture causing her greater distress was one of her and Spike, taken only days before he left. How she wished she could go to that day and take back everything she said, but she knew it was impossible based on her last encounter with time travel.

Though such photos brought her great pain, she could never bring herself to actually put them away. Besides this, the only other thing she had to hold onto Spike was the castle in which she lived, for this very room she finds herself in now, is the same one that her and Spike shared many happy memories together. She tried to remember the better days, the fun times she had with him, but one thought was all it would take to shatter any pleasant illusion, instantly catapulting her into her dreary reality.

Running her hoof along the polished wooden edge, Twilight could feel tears begin to well. She wanted to look away before she broke down, but found this to be impossible. So she said the only thing she ever could. "I'm sorry, Spike."

For the briefest moment, the thought of calling Cadence over crossed her mind; for she had always been there to comfort her in the past, but she told herself not to. It was likely that she had already fallen asleep anyways. So, she pulled herself away from the picture and trotted into the kitchen.

After a few minutes, she had a kettle of water boiling. She hoped that some of her favorite tea would make her feel marginally better. It had always seemed to have a positive effect on her when thoughts of Spike would find their way into her mind, however tonight, they seemed stronger than usual.

As Twilight stirred the steaming glass, she heard a sudden knock at the door. She sighed, not exactly wanting to entertain any visitors at the moment. Looking to her clock she saw that it was almost ten thirty. 'This better be important,' she thought.

As she trotted over to the door, she heard the visitor knock once more. "One second," she called back. Quickly, she opened the door and what she saw caused her very blood to run cold. There before her, stood Spike. Each of their expressions seemed to mirror each other's with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

Without either of them truly having to think about their next course of action, the pair instinctively wrapped their arms and hooves around each other. Neither of them could believe this was happening. They had both assumed that the other hated them more than anything, but in that moment, all of their fears were put to rest.

Still holding Spike close, Twilight began to cry. "S-Spike? Is it really you?"

The young dragon pulled back slightly and looked into Twilight's eyes, tears lining his own. "Yeah Twilight, it's really me."

Quickly, Twilight bridged the gap Spike had created. "Spike! I've missed you so much!"

Spike could feel a few of her tears land on his scales, however he didn't mind. All he cared about in that moment was that he was once more with a friend he thought he'd never see again.

"I know Twilight, I've missed you too."

"B-B-But I thought you hated me."

Mentally flinching at those words, Spike took a step back. "Twilight, I have never and will never hate you."

The lavender mare smiled as she wiped a hoof across her eyes. "Well, do you wanna come in?" she asked, her voice still cracking.

The young dragon wiped away a tear of his own. "Yeah, I'd love to."

As Spike took a seat on Twilight's sofa, he noticed the several pictures adorning her walls. He quickly found himself lost in the memories of times long since passed. However, he was just as quickly, he found himself swept back into reality by Twilight's cheerful voice.

"I hope the guard didn't give you too much trouble," said Twilight as she took a seat next to him.

Spike moved over slightly, as to grant her more room. "Are you kidding? Night Bright was one of the guards that were here when you and I were young, remember? It's not like too many other purple dragons are requesting to see Princess Twilight you know?"

The lavender Alicorn giggled slightly. "Yeah, I-I guess not." Pausing briefly, Twilight allowed her joyous expression to take on a more serious tone for her next question. "Spike, why did you come back?"

The purple dragon sighed before looking back to Twilight. "Twi, I came back because" Spike paused. "I came back because I couldn't stop thinking about that night. It was so horrible that I just had to… I needed to… I just wanted to see you again." Spike let his head fall as he rested his claws at his side. "That must sound pretty cheesy, huh?"

Suddenly, he felt a hoof lay upon his hand. Looking up he saw Twilight smiling at him with tearful eyes. "No Spike," she began. "It's not, because you're not the only one whose been feeling this way."

The young dragon could feel a smile begin to tug at his lips. So slowly he reached over and pulled Twilight into an embrace. "Then I'm glad it's not just me."

The lavender mare chuckled slightly before breaking the embrace. "Well, uh, can I get you anything? I just made some tea if you'd like some."

Spike nodded with a smile. "That'd be great." However there was one more pressing matter he needed to discuss. So as Twilight began to trot away, he reached out to her, gently grabbing one of her front legs. "Wait, there is something else I need to say."

Twilight looked to him with some confusion as she retook her seat. "What is it?"

Spike put a fist over his mouth and paused to consider his next words very carefully. Then he looked over at Twilight. "Twilight, you have no idea how sorry I am. I never should have gone off like that. It was wrong of me and I've regretted it ever since that night."

The lavender Alicorn sighed. "Spike, you don't have to apologize for anything. I know why you reacted the way you did, but what I did was so much worse. I've always wanted to take those last words back and instead tell you how much you mean to me. We have a habit of saying stupid things when we're angry, and I promise you I didn't mean any of it."

Spike felt a small tear of joy roll down his cheek as Twilight spoke. He'd been waiting six years to hear those words and the only thing bothering him now is that he didn't come back sooner.

Twilight let out a light chuckle and wiped her eyes. "Great, now I'm being the sappy one."

At those words the pair shared a brief laugh. "So" began Twilight. "How about that tea now?"

After a short few moments, Twilight came trotting back into the living room wielding two steaming cups in her magical grip. Spike took the cup that was presented to him and thanked her before taking a sip. It had a sweet peach flavor to it.

"So, where have you been all of this time?" asked Twilight.

The young dragon rested his cup on a nearby table and began to explain. "Well, I've actually been working in Staliongrad."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Staliongrad? Never thought I'd see a dragon there."

Spike chuckled briefly. "Yeah, kinda why I chose it. I just wanted to get away without actually leaving Equestria."

The Alicorn nodded. "I understand."

"Now your turn. Why are you back in the old Canterlot Castle?" questioned Spike as he looked around the room.

Twilight found herself blushing slightly, her playful joy completely receded. "I moved back because of you. I figured that if I came here you might come back one day to see Celestia. That way I wouldn't miss the chance. To be honest, you're the reason why I decided not to move to Vanhoover."

Spike leaned back in surprise. "Me?" he said as he placed a claw over his chest.

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, and don't worry. I left everything in your room just the way it was, and so did Celestia." Twilight looked away sadly at the mention of her former mentor's name.

"Is something wrong, Twi?"

"No, it's just… After you left, Celestia hated me. She blamed everything on me. And to be honest, I don't blame her. You were raised as her son after all."

Spike sighed. "I'm so sorry Twilight, I didn't even think about that."

The Alicorn waved a dismissive hoof. "Don't worry about it. Now that you're back I'm sure she's happier than ever."

Spike withdrew a little, knowing what he must tell Twilight.

Keying in on the dragon's behavioral change, Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You did tell her, right?"

"Twilight, I had to see you first. I'd been living without her for a while anyways, but with you…" Spike shrugged awkwardly. "Gotta set things right first, right?"

Twilight laughed lightly. "Okay, but we'll do that first thing in the morning. You are staying the night, aren't you?"

Spike tried not to seem expecting of such, so he replied "Only if you want me to."

"Yes!" Twilight yelped a little more loudly than she meant to. Instantly, she threw her hooves over her mouth and tried in vain to fight off an oncoming blush.

The young dragon laughed briefly. "I'll take that as an okay then."

As Spike slid his scaly body under the sheets of his old bed, he found himself being rather thankful for how Celestia had a habit of spoiling him. For instead of a small basket, like at Twilight's library, Spike was instead laying in a twin sized bed with beautiful silk sheets and the finest feather pillows. As expected, it only took a brief amount of time for Spike's eyes to begin to grow heavy and finally close. However, not everyone in the castle was yet asleep.

After only a few minutes, Spike's bedroom door opened and in came trotting a lavender Alicorn. She tried her best not to wake the sleeping dragon, but even if he stirred she had no intention of altering her plans. So, slowly, she leaned over Spike and kissed him on the cheek.


	3. Chapter Three: Redemption

Learning to Forgive

Chapter Three: Redemption

Spike slept peacefully until suddenly he heard his bedroom door open. Instantly he was catapulted into conciseness, but upon realizing his surroundings, he quickly inferred that it was most likely Twilight, so he closed his eyes and started to drift back into a rather pleasant dream. However, this state would prove to be very brief, for the second the young dragon felt a pair of lips upon his cheek, his eyes shot open.

Spike tried his best not to move for both of their sakes, for he could not imagine how awkward that moment of realization would be. Nonetheless, he did look to the nearby wall to see a dim silhouette trotting away from him, but at this angle it was hard to say whose. Then, almost on cue, the pony turned sideways, presumably to look at Spike's sleeping form once more. Instantly the mane's shadow was recognizable.

The young dragon lay still for a moment or more after the door had closed, and then sat up. Slowly he brought his claw to his cheek and looked towards the door. "Twilight?"

As morning broke, a lavender Alicorn could be found rushing through her small kitchen. Normally she would have asked a royal servant to prepare something, but today was different, today was special.

A wide smile broke across Twilight's face as she opened the oven and pulled out a large golden-brown cake. She had prepared it with one half vanilla-strawberry flavored, the other vanilla-emerald. Twilight figured it would be a good excuse to have a meal together and maybe bring about more conversation. Now of course she was opposed to the idea of one having cake for breakfast, but she remembered how long ago in Ponyville, she had always made Spike his favorite cake for breakfast on very special occasions and hoped it would bring back good memories.

Just then, a young dragon came walking into the kitchen with a groggy smile on his face. He could smell a gem cake a mile away and nothing would stop him from getting a piece. Spike lifted a claw to his eye and began to rub as a faint yawn escaped his lips. "Good morning Tw-" Suddenly every memory from the night prior came rushing back to Spike, but that isn't what stunned him the most. There before him was Twilight; her mane done in as style that perfectly suited her, her eyelashes straightened, and a light blush that Spike couldn't tell if it was from her makeup or simply seeing him. However, what caught his eye the most was the dress she was wearing. It was a simple yellow dress that their friend Rarity had made for her many years ago. All at once he remembered that day. Twilight had moved her birthday to Canterlot which had of course upset Spike, since he couldn't attend, but he remembered the following days when he and Twilight did everything he suggested. Nearly every day they did something fun together she had that dress on. Then he remembered telling her how cute she looked in it. At that memory, Spike began to smile, for this fact remained the same.

"Tw-Twilight you look beautiful," he said with a blush.

Twilight smiled and turned a deep crimson. Of course she was embarrassed, but Spike noticed that her expression was suggesting something else was present as well. "Thanks Spike."

Turning away Twilight lifted up the cake tin behind her, but she took a little longer than was needed, secretly relishing in her best friend's statement. Then, just before any suspicions were raised, she turned back to the table and levitated the trey to its center.

"Um, you want some?" she asked with a slight giggle.

Instantly Spike was awaken from his inner daydream of admiration. "What? Uh, yeah," he said nervously, still unable to believe that he'd somehow forgotten the entire reason he came into the kitchen.

The lavender Alicorn giggled and proceeded to magically split the pastry. Even as she levitated each piece to their individual plates, Spike didn't break his gaze for a second. He thought each newfound sensation rather odd. After all, it was Twilight who he was perplexed by, his best friend, yet he looked at her as he once did at Rarity. Spike even began to feel the same as he did when he first became infatuated with her, but with Twilight something was different.

Twilight seemed completely oblivious to this as she cut apart her slice of cake. After taking a bite, she looked over to Spike and asked "So, do you want to see Princess Celestia today? I'm sure she'll be overjoyed to see you."

Once again, Twilight interrupted his stare, but this time Spike was more prepared and able to play it off. "Oh, uh no, not today." However, what Spike was to say next he couldn't play off as easily. "I was thinking we could maybe go out tonight."

Twilight's eyes widened and the bit of food she was currently swallowing threatened to choke her. She coughed a little, earning her a concerned look from Spike, but quickly recovered.

"You mean, as in a date?" she asked a little louder and more forcefully than she meant. Instantly she began inwardly scolding herself for not showing the least bit of joy she was feeling.

Spike frantically waved his arms in a dismissive gesture. "Oh no! I mean just as friends, Twi." But despite his reaction, Spike was rather hurt by being shot down so quickly.

Instantly, Twilight could feel her inner happiness fade to sorrow. "Oh, okay. I just thought… Never mind."

Needless to say, the rest of that breakfast was awkward from then on; though hopefully things will begin to turn around soon. Hopefully.

Spike was sitting in his room, still a little sad about Twilight's reaction at breakfast, but he was busy entertaining himself with his past memories, for he was flipping through an old photo album of him and Twilight when they were young. He guessed that Twilight had put them in his room after running out of space; however he found the idea of the Twilight Sparkle running out of room for books quite humorous.

Many of the pictures he found rather amusing, but there were a few that made him feel warm inside as memories from long ago came rushing back. After a while he had gone through all of the photos, so he picked up another photo album. This one seemed newer than the rest so he was of course eager to look through it.

The first few pages were from when they had lived in Ponyville, but the rest of it was from their time together in the city. Back then it was just the two of them, no elements of harmony, just Twilight. He smiled, thinking of how each page seemed to reveal more and more of her beauty the older she got. Then, without warning, the happy photos came to an abrupt stop. He flipped through a few more pages, only confirming the lack of pictures from that point on. He found it odd of Twilight to leave an album unfinished, so he flipped back to the page of the last photo to look at it closer. He remembered this one. It was of him and Twilight in Manehatten Square. It was taken four days before he left. Spike could feel sorrow beginning to grip him as he looked at their happy expressions.

'I've gotta do more than just make this right,' he thought.

Twilight lay curled up on her bed, hooves wrapped around her pillow, her face buried into it. She wanted to yell at herself, but she didn't want to risk Spike hearing, so she did the next best thing; she mentally scolded herself.

'Twilight! You stupid filly! Just tell him how you feel? Nope! You have to go and scream at him. Dear goddesses you're a failure! An absolute disgrace! How could you! You're worthless!' she thought.

Unknown to Spike, Twilight's crush had begun to develop a few years after he had left. At first all she could feel was sadness, anger, and hate, but not for Spike; for herself. She blamed herself for everything. She blamed herself for becoming a princess, for moving, for getting too involved in her job, for neglecting Spike, and more than anything, that night. For weeks she would come home and start talking expecting a reply, only to realize she was alone. The feeling she'd get each time this happened was crushing. At one point she even thought of suicide, but she knew she couldn't do that to her friends and family, so she pushed that thought away.

Years later she began to notice her emotions changing. She knew she was sorry, she knew she missed Spike, but she didn't know how deeply until recently. It was a miracle that she managed to still look professional for Equestria when each day she'd cry herself to sleep. Every day would seem to grow darker and darker, until one day everything changed. She started to feel something for Spike, but as habit, she did her best to suppress it. However, this emotion only grew, fed by her sorrow and anger, but now that Spike had returned all of the other feelings were replaced, all except for one.

Suddenly, Twilight heard her door begin to creak open. She knew she had told Spike that she was going to take a nap, so she decided to seem as though she were asleep, even if her position looked somewhat odd. Hearing Spike let out a light chuckle made Twilight wish she had simply laid on her stomach, but this thought was quickly interrupted when he began to Speak.

"Hey Twilight, you awake?"

Twilight thought it would be best to ignore him, and she was indeed correct.

"I guess I'll take that as a no." There was a brief pause. "You wanna know something Twi? Each day I was in Stalliongrad I thought about you and every single night I'd dream about you. It's always the same one too. That day… I don't know what kept me from coming back. It's all just so stupid when you really think about it."

Twilight could hear the floor creak as Spike's voice drew closer.

"And I think you should know something. This morning when I saw you, I couldn't believe it. You just looked so beautiful, way better than Rarity ever did. And there's something else."

Spike's voice was now right next to Twilight.

"Last night when you kissed me, I was awake."

Twilight bit down hard on her tongue trying not to scream in terror. 'Oh dear goddesses!' she thought. 'Please no! Please don't let this be happening!'

"And to be honest, I liked it. And seeing you this morning made me feel something. I don't know why I never noticed it before, but I think… I love you."

Twilight could feel her heart skip a beat and her eyes begin to fill with tears, but she didn't know if the young dragon was done speaking so she dared not move a muscle. Never in her life had she been happier about a decision, for seconds later she could feel Spike brush some of her mane out of her face and press his lips against her cheek. At this point her pillow was wet with tears.

After a moment, Twilight could hear Spike's footsteps beginning to walk away from her, but for some unknown reason she just couldn't let him leave without telling him how she felt. She wasn't going to let this one slip through her hooves. Just as Spike grasped the doorknob, she let out a faint whisper.

"I love you too."

Instantly Spike froze. He could feel all blood leave his face and his hands grow sweaty in a fraction of a second. Slowly, the terrified dragon turned back to see Twilight sitting up on her bed smiling at him with a tear soaked face.

"And I was awake too," she said with a giggle.

Spike smiled slightly. "I can see that."

For the next few seconds the pair just stood there looking at each other. Each both terrified and overjoyed by what the other had said. Then suddenly, both of them darted towards each other. The instant they met time seemed to stop around them. They knew from this point on nothing would ever be the same, but they also knew it would only be for the better.

As Twilight buried her face into Spike's chest, she wept. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear those words."

Spike smiled and held her a little closer. "So, you wanna go on that date later?" he asked with a chuckle.

Twilight let out a giggle threw her tears. "What do you think?!"

The new couple shared a laugh before Spike pulled back slightly. Twilight looked up at him with an expecting smile, already knowing what comes next. Slowly the two began to lean forward until their lips finally met. In that instant absolutely nothing else seemed to matter, but each other.


	4. Chapter Four: I'm Sorry

Learning to Forgive

Chapter Four: I'm Sorry

As the morning's light cast across Spike's sleeping form, his eyes slowly fluttered open. Instantly, he noticed an odd presence atop his chest. Spike looked down to see Twilight, sleeping peacefully. Now fully awake, he took note of the fact that he wasn't in his bedroom, but Twilight's.

Once all conscious thought had returned, Spike found himself processing the events of yesterday. However, many of his thoughts were similar to the tune of "Oh holy crap that wasn't a dream!"

Suddenly, Spike felt Twilight begin to stir atop him. Spike looked down to her, and saw a reaction similar to his own; though it was quickly replaced by a warm smile. This caused him to return one.

"Good morning."

Twilight quickly pressed her lips to his. "Good morning."

The dragon let out a light chuckle. "Well, some pony is in a good mood."

Twilight giggled as she slid off of Spike and out of bed. "Considering the fact that yesterday was the best day of my life, why wouldn't I be?"

Spike playfully rolled his eyes at the, somewhat, cheesy comment. "So, what are your plans for today oh great and powerful Twilight Sparkle."

This remark earned Spike a glare. "Just because I'm a princess doesn't mean…" She trailed off upon realizing Spike was only joking, remembering how after her coronation he would often tease her by comparing her to Trixie. "Oh ha ha very funny. I thought you would have forgotten that by now."

"Oh no, I kept a little book of things that annoy you."

Twilight rolled her eyes.

Spike smirked at this before asking, once again "But seriously, what were your plans?"

As Twilight levitated a brush through her mane she looked over to Spike, who was now standing beside her. "Well, as long as the Hooviets and Zebricans don't start lobbing fire spells at each other, I'm free. Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking, maybe we could go do something. I mean you're Princess Twilight frigging Sparkle, so we've got a few options on the table."

"So, do you want to see Celestia before or after?"

Spike grinned before kissing Twilight on the cheek and wrapping his arms around her. This caused Twilight to take on a light blush.

"Celestia can wait. You and I, on the other hand, have a bit of lost time to make up for. So, you wanna go on a walk through the Canterlot Gardens? I'm sure the media would just love to see that."

Twilight laughed softly, however it gradually became an awkward one after she realized that she hadn't really thought about that. After all, if the media were to know Spike was back in her life, they'd have enough to play with for a week, but if they were to know they were dating… Let's just say it wouldn't be fun for her. Then again, she would have to face this eventuality regardless of what she did, so what the hay?

"That sounds great, Spike; minus the last part."

The young dragon laughed. "Honestly, I don't really care where we go."

"Oh, well in that case how about we go to this little spot I found in the woods by Canterlot?"

Spike raised his brow. "The woods? I thought you didn't like going outside."

Twilight threw out a hoof. "I may not like spiders and snakes, but I'm perfectly fine with a walk through the forest every now and again. So, what do you say?"

He smiled. "It sounds perfect."

The Alicorn returned one. "Okay, I'll have a guard ready a chariot."

Twilight stepped out of the chariot and took in a deep breath of clean air. She had always loved the smell of the forest. Though, she also wished to be alone, so she turned to the guard.

"Okay, that will be all, and don't come back for two hours."

The Royal Guard nodded, his expression unwavering. "Yes mam," with that the stallion launched into the air, chariot and all.

"Now, I know you said you didn't want anything special," began Spike, "but I had to throw something together while you were in the shower." He then revealed the claw behind his back to be wielding a small picnic basket.

Twilight smiled before pecking him on the nose, to show that her next statement was a well-intended joke. "I see you're already lying to me on our first date. Nice start."

Spike rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on Twi, what did you expect us to do? Walk around or enjoy a picnic?"

Twilight grinned to Spike as she lifted up a branch. "I expect you to follow me."

After a couple minutes of walking and after brushing off a third spider web, he was beginning to wonder if Twilight's secret place was worth it.

"How much further is this spot of yours, Twi?"

"Just a little further," she called over her shoulder.

Considering the fact that she had falsely assured him of this fact at least twice now, Spike decided it would be best to verify what exactly she meant by "a little further".

"Uh, by that do you mean a mile or just a few more feet, because you said-"

"We're here!" announced Twilight, effectively cutting off Spike.

Spike was almost about to question this claim before the Alicorn lifted a branch to reveal a beautiful display. Before the couple was a small meadow, next to which the beginning of the Canterlot River flowed, though here it appeared to be nothing more than a large stream. But what really took Spike's breath away was the view beyond it; from the far side of the mountain, one could see fields and forest that seemed to stretch on forever.

Shooting Spike a quick smirk, Twilight asked "Worth it?"

Spike, who was still perplexed by the sight, nodded. "Worth it."

Once Spike had set out the blanket beside the riverbank, he took a seat and began to open the picnic basket. He dearly hoped Twilight's new high class status wouldn't have affected her taste in food.

"So, what did you bring?" asked Twilight, now leaning against Spike's side.

"Well," he began as he emptied the basket, "I only had enough time for daisy sandwiches, but I tried to make it exactly the way you used to like it. I hope that's okay with you."

Twilight smiled. "Of course it is, Spike. Honestly, I'm getting quite disgusted with what they're feeding the royals these days. They actually tried to make me eat fish eggs once. Fish eggs!"

Spike chuckled. "Oh no, Poor you."

Twilight chuckled as well, but her expression went serious for the question she was to ask.

"Spike, what was it like?"

He shot her a confused expression.

"Living on your own I mean," she clarified.

The dragon leaned back momentarily, thinking about how this could be best put.

"Well, at first things were rough, but then once I got to Staliongrad and got a job, things started getting better. Even had my own apartment, of course living on the salary of a new coal miner didn't get me far, even with the Hooviet welfare."

Twilight's eyes widened. "You were a coal miner?"

"Yeah, I know, hard to believe. But it wasn't all that bad. You see this friend of mine, Sergey, who worked in the gem mine nearby, would always give me some."

Twilight looked away from Spike, as a realization dawned on her. 'Did he really hate me so much he'd go through all that?'

The dragon took a bite of some emerald he had packed, and looked over to see Twilight averting her gaze.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Twilight put on a forced, faked, smile. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Spike easily saw through her deception. "Twi, I've known you long enough to know when you're lying, what's wrong?"

She considered assuring him once again, but she knew he was right. "D-Did you do all of this because of what I said?"

Spike was instantly caught off guard by this. "I'm going to be honest. At first I was, but eventually I just started going through the motions like every pony else."

This reply only caused Twilight's heart to sink even lower. Then suddenly, she felt a gentle hand upon her chin, turn her towards Spike.

"But every single day all I could think about was you; how much I missed you, how much I cared about you, how I could never go back, and how much you hated me."

Twilight rested a hoof atop her draconic friend's claw. "I never hated you; nothing could ever make me hate you… Really, I think that I've always loved you in some way. Even when we were little, back in Canterlot, I always thought of you as number one in everything, not just as my assistant, but as a friend and as the one I cared about most. Even Shining Armor was second to you. And that has never changed."

Spike was astounded by this. He never knew just how much Twilight had cared for him, and now that he did, he felt absolutely horrible for leaving her. Now he was determined to make good on all of his wrongs, starting now.

Suddenly, Spike leaned forward and pressed his lips to Twilight's. He knew this wouldn't undo all of the pain he'd caused her, but it was indeed a good start.

After a moment, Spike broke the kiss, but replaced it with an embrace. "Twilight, I promise that I'll never leave you again."

The Alicorn smiled, her eyes wet with tears. "Thank you. That means a lot to me; especially now."

Quickly, he planted a kiss upon her forehead. "I love you."

Twilight felt a few tears of joy break lose as her smile grew. "I love you too."

After a few hours, the Royal guard returned and brought the pair back to Canterlot. Though after the moment they shared, the two weren't able to look at each other the same way again. For in that moment, something became clear to them, they weren't just best friends, not even lovers, they were soul mates. Though for one particular dragon, this may have taken root far longer ago than the other could have imagined.

As Twilight set hoof in Canterlot, she was surprised to see Spike taking her hoof as she exited the carriage. She smiled at him with a light blush, and allowed him to be a gentleman.

"Why thank you my good sir," she joked.

Spike let out a light laugh. "Of course milady."

Breaking character, Twilight asked "Are you ready to see Celestia yet?"

"In a minute, but right now you should follow me."

The Alicorn raised her brow. "Why?"

"Just do it. You'll see."

After a short walk to the Canterlot Garden, Spike brought Twilight over to a tree they used to play under as foals. Twilight remembered it especially, for when she would find herself thinking of Spike, she'd make her way out here and just read.

"Were you trying to show us our special tree?" she asked.

Spike smiled and shook his head. He then crouched down at the base of the tree and examined it closely, before he began to dig.

"Um Spike, what are you doing?"

"Well, when you were talking about us being little, you made me remember something."

Suddenly, a metallic scrape emanated from the ground. "Aha! Got it!" he declared, as he pulled out a small lunch box.

Twilight, who was now standing at Spike's side, peered down over his shoulder. "What's that?"

He smiled. "Something I should have gave you a long time ago."

With a bit of force, Spike jerked the lunch box open until the rusty hinges gave way. Inside he found several drawings of him and Twilight, as well as the box of crayons he used to color them.

At first Twilight just assumed that they were simply drawings from their younger days, but then she noticed something odd; on each of them was a heart, sometimes around the both of them or, on others, one half lavender the other half green.

"Here," he said as he offered up the papers.

Twilight levitated the parchments out of his claw and began flipping through each of them. In total, there were five pages, each one a year older than the last.

By now she was in total awe at the drawings, for it was clear what they were; they were Hearts and Hooves Day cards. "Spike, this is… Are these…"

Spike laughed slightly. "Yeah, I kinda thought it would be okay to show you these now."

Twilight looked to him, her eyes wet with un-fallen tears. "You mean you've made these for me all those years ago?"

"Yeah, but every year I'd chicken out, and it'd end up here. I hope you don't think that's weird, do you?"

"No, not at all. I just can't believe that all this time… Thank you."

Spike smiled. "It's nothing really. I mean I almost forgot that they were-"

The dragon was suddenly cut off by Twilight wrapping her hooves around him in one of the tightest embraces he's ever been in. "This is the sweetest gift I've ever received. Thank you." Just then, Twilight leaned back just enough for the two to make eye contact, before their lips met.

Just then, a royal pony decided to make their presence known. "Spike!?"


End file.
